مراكش المدينة القديمة

Marrakech, Morocco

We met my parents in Barcelona, so they could join us on this leg of our journey. They have been traveling for the last month and a half as well, and it was good to meet up with them. We arrived in Marrakech at 2:00 o’clock in the morning, after a delayed flight from Spain. Our riad رياض (house) was called L’Orangeraie, and was located inside the old Medina (city). The cool night air and dim alley that led along the street set the mood for this edgy and fantastic city. According to custom, the outside of many of the riads are very modest mud, brick, or stucco walls, with no visible windows or markings beyond a number or name, and usually an austere looking large wooden door, that is carved or riveted. The inside of the riad is a different story. Ours was very ornately decorated with a beautiful garden courtyard and rooftop terrace. It was an oasis in the middle of the ancient city. We awoke to the sounds of the “calls to prayer” that were broadcast form the many Mosques that dot the city center, as well as the songbirds. We had an amazing breakfast of fresh fruit, Crepes Maroc, and French crepes prepared by the staff. Next it was out in to the city streets, and the souks (سوق ) .

The souks are markets and shops that line the streets all thought the ancient city quarter. One of the several times we became lost in the souks, I asked a local for directions and he obliged, telling me that the streets and souks were a lot like my stomach and intestines, winding around and around, but there was only one way in and one way out, a very fitting description! It is hard to put into words the experience of walking through the souks. Sensory overload comes close. The sounds, smells, and visual intensity is overwhelming. I felt like I could have found anything I wanted in the souks. There were live monkeys, cobras, lizards of all kinds, clothing jewelry, what ever you wanted. The souks eventually leak out on to Djemaa el Fna, the main square in the old medena.

If the souks are indeed the guts of the city, Djemaa el Fna is the heart. This diverse square changes through the day. In the morning it has fruit and spice vendors, and is rings by orange juice stands, (there is nothing to compare to Fresh squeezed OJ when it is 45 degrees centigrade out!). Snake charmers, fortunetellers, henna artists, and Monkey wranglers populate the square center. There are also several medicinal and herbal stands that sell all kinds of strange and wonderful object to help ward off the Jinn جني, including, (my personal favorite) dead, dried chameleons that explode when thrown in the fire, to ward off the evil spirits. During the middle of the day, it is almost to hot to do anything, and the square and souks slow down. This is the calm before the storm, and as the air cools in the evening things start to ramp up. Sunset in the square makes burning man look like Sunday school. The center fills with movable food stands with all kinds of specialties, many cooked in a Tagine, a kind of clay pot, but there is also kebab and almost anything else. Smoke and open fire billow from these stands, creating a very dreamlike atmosphere. Surrounding the food stands are hoards of entertainers and people. While crossing this section with Ani in the stroller, I had a monkey and cobra thrust on me, and Ani had a monkey thrust on to her, just to give an idea of the chaos. Our time in Marrakech has been wonderful, but it would be very easy to become overwhelmed here if you were not careful. We stayed in an amazing Riad, L’Orangeraie, in the old town and had wonderful hosts. If you come with a love for adventure, and are not afraid of exploring outside of your comfort zone, you will not be disappointed. I love this city, and look forward to the next time I can return. The next stop, Agadir, and the coast for some surf!

At night the warm air begins to cool, depending on the heat of the day. It has gotten as hot as 105 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, taking it down to the low 90’s? At night it’s been lovely to sit on the roof terrace looking at the stars listening to the call for evening prayer. It reminds me much of hearing church bells in St. Mark’s Square or at many cities in Europe. The minarets (towers) that rise from the numerous mosques remind me of bell towers. The calls to prayer begin in the distance and sound remotely like a crowd yelling in the distance, it soon begins to amplify as the mosques closer to where we are start in unison and all around us you can hear the calls. Matt says that they start like a small murmur and then like a wave they overtake you. Like the church bells call believers to either go to church or to pray the calls from the mosques are very warm as they remind one to remember Allah (or God). Since this is my first time to a Muslim country, I find the experience very comforting. No matter if you are Christian or Muslim the call to prayer reminds us to be thankful and thoughtful, at least to take a moment to pause throughout the day.